Arborio Ranked First in NWCA Preseason Poll, Team Takes 14th
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 2, 2021) – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released their 2021-22 Division III Coaches Rankings for the preseason yesterday and Nick Arborio was ranked first at the 125-pound weight class and the team was ranked 14th.
Arborio was ranked first at the 125-pound weight class after going 30-5 in the 2019-20 season, the last full competitive season for the team. He recorded 124 team points with eight falls, five tech falls, six major decisions and eight decisions on the season.
In 2019, Arborio was ranked 16th in his respective weight class in the preseason poll and went on to lead the Golden Bears to a team ranking of 17th that season. Throughout the 2019 season, Arborio worked his way up to being ranked ninth and qualified for nationals after competing in the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships. He won the 125-pound weight class to qualify for the national tournament. At the end of the 2019-20 season, Arborio was selected to the All-NEWA first team after a 21-match win-streak and ranking third in the country. He also earned NWCA All-American First Team.
As a team in 2019-20, the Golden Bears recorded a 12-8 duals record. In the NWCA Division III Coaches Rankings for the Preseason Top Ten Tournament Teams list, the Golden Bears were tied four 14th with five other schools. Wartburg College took first with 60 points while Wabash College earned second (48), Loras College claimed third (44), Coe College took fourth (38) and John Carroll University rounded out the top five with 29 points. Western New England earned 16 points along with UW-Steven Point, UW-Oshkosh, Rochester Institute of Technology, Ithaca College and Elmhurst University.
The Golden Bears open the 2021-22 season this weekend as they travel to the Ithaca Invitational set to start Friday, November 5th at 2 p.m.
